A White Stone – 7
Mother of Pearl
If you are a modern Christian and you haven’t read James B. Jordan’s Through New Eyes, you won’t appreciate all the Bible has to offer. We’ve looked at some of the meanings of the gemstones on the breastplate of the High Priest. That’s Adam. What about Eve?
Jordan writes:
The rainbow encircles God’s throne, but so, too, do the gemstones. In Revelation 21 we have a vision of the New Jerusalem, the city built around God’s throne (Revelation 22: 1). Jerusalem is an architectural replica of God’s glory-home:
The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolites; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysophrase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl.
In other words, the city was encircled with gemstones: stones of the land for Israel, and pearls from the sea for Gentiles. These foundation stones have already been associated with the names of the Apostles (Revelation 21:14), just as the High Priest’s twelve stones had written on them the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, these stones represent people. (See also Isaiah 54:11-12.) We are God’s house of gemstones. The righteous people in the Church are likened to gemstones by Paul in a famous temple passage:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [1]
Meditating on these things as I am wont to do, I had the thought that a pearl begins with a grain of sand, or some kind of irritant or wound. A bit of the Land—broken, isolated and cast down—enters the oyster-tomb and through suffering in the darkness is enrobed in a new body. [2] Together, they are a white stone, unbreakable and more glorious. This is the resurrection body, the witnesses in white, and the holy city. Quite obvious really, if we have the right kind of eyes.
Pearls are mostly associated with women. Esther approached the Emperor and stood at court on his “crystal sea,” a shining pavement of gemstones which included mother-of-pearl.
Pearls are rarely worn alone. They were plunder from the Gentile Sea. They were strung together by the Spirit as He built the bride. [3] This Sea will be plundered until there is no more Sea—only Holy Land.
_________________________________
[1] James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World, p. 77.
[2] See When Darkness Is The Last Word.
[3] The phrase ‘end of the age’ in Matthew 13 after the kingdom metaphors is a reference to AD70. See also Fairy Tale in a Field and Feasts in Matthew 13.
Thoughts on A White Stone 1-6 here.
whitston
